AIPT Comics Podcast Episode 104: Best in Comics 2020: Series, creators, culture & more

The AIPT Comics podcast is back from a week off and we’re delivering an extra-sized episode as we recap 2020 with our end of the year best-of list. We list off our favorite creators and series while also recapping the biggest surprises in comic book industry culture too.

Before we dive into our best-of list, we recap the week in news and boy is it a short list! The biggest news has to be Spider-Man’s new costume getting revealed, but we also discuss Comichron’s end of the year comics sales from March 2019 to March 2020 comparison.

AIPT Comics Podcast Top Books of the Week:

Dave:                              

1. Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Dark Nights: Metal #1 

Forrest:

1. I took vacation so Berserk Deluxe Edition Vol. 1

In our judging by the cover segment, Dave picked Thor #11 by Daniel Warren Johnson and Forrest picked X-Factor #6 by Ivan Shavrin. Check those out below.

Here are our winners:

Best comic to show a lapsed fan
Forrest: Harley Quinn Black + White + Red
Dave: Strange Adventures

Mentions:
DB-The Magic Fish
Daredevil

Best Comics Trend
Forrest: Creator-owned anthologies
Dave: Digital-first series

Mentions:

Comics conventions figuring virtual out
Contained events (X of swords, Future State)

Worst Comics Trend
Forrest: Marvel ignores (rewards!) plagiarism
Dave: Publishers staying mum about abusers

Mentions:
Conan is in the 616
Star Wars feels aimless
Creators term/name searching
Creators denigrating criticism

Biggest Disappointment
Forrest: King in Black
Dave: King in Black

Mentions:

Kindred Reveal
Hellblazer Cancelled
Justice League Dark moved to backup series
Empyre Thor

Biggest Surprise: Industry
Forrest: DC Divorces from Diamond
Dave: Dan Didio fired

Mentions:

Diamond Stopped Shipping!
IDW rotating administration
Marvel buys Alien/Predator
Marvel publishes Warhammer 40k (and it’s good!)
Chadwick Boseman honored in comics

Biggest Surprise: In Comics
Forrest: Starlord is canonically queer
Dave: Hulking and Wiccan’s marriage

Mentions:

Apocalypse’s family
Kate Pryde is canonically queer
Symbiote Santa

Best #1 / One Shot
Forrest: Department of Truth #1
Dave: Hellions #1

Mentions:

SWORD
X of Swords: Creation
Marvels Snapshot: Cyclops
Home Sick Pilots
Hedra

Best Ongoing
Forrest: Hellions
Dave: The Dreaming: Waking Hours

Mentions:

Immortal Hulk
The Department of Truth
Daredevil
Guardians of the Galaxy
That Texas Blood
The Entire X-Line

Best Miniseries
Forrest: King of Nowhere
Dave: Skulldigger & Skeleton Boy

Mentions:

Undone By Blood
Alienated
Redfork
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
Superman Smashes the Klan
Wynd
Lost Soldiers
Olympia
Jimmy Olsen
No One’s Rose

Best OGN
Forrest: Blue in Green
Dave: The Magic Fish

Mentions:
Dracula Motherf-cker
Slaughterhouse Five
Kill A Man

Best Event

Forrest: X of Swords
Dave: Empyre

Best Reboot
Forrest: SWORD
Dave: Champions

Mentions: Alien: The Original Screenplay

Most Memorable Retcon (bad or good)
Forrest: Franklin Richards
Dave: Franklin Richards

Mentions: Brand New Day

Best Romance
Forrest: Lonely Receiver
Dave: Wiccan and Hulkling

Mentions: Cheater Code

Best Hero
Forrest: Apocalypse
Dave: Daredevil

Best in-comic Team
Forrest: Hellions
Dave: Suicide Squad

Mentions:

X-Factor

Best Creator Team
Forrest: Chip Zdarsky / Marco Checcetto

Dave: Tynion/Simmonds The Department of Truth

Mentions: Ram V/ Anand RK – Blue in Green

Best Writer
Forrest: Al Ewing
Dave: James Tynion IV

Mentions:

Ram V
Alex Paknadel
Kieron Gillen
Tini Howard
Chip Zdarsky
Mariko Tamaki
Zac Thompson
Lonnie Nadler

Best Artist
Forrest: Daniel Warren Johnson
Dave: Martin Simmonds

Mentions:
James Stokoe
Marco Checcetto
Mahmud Asrar
Javier Rodriguez
Sami Kivela
Tyler Jenkins
Jacob Phillips

Best Villain
Forrest: Sinister
Dave: Cotati

Mentions:
Empath

Best Costume
Forrest: Elektra Daredevil
Dave: Spider-Woman (don’t hit me!)

Mentions:
Abigail Brand (SWORD)
Thor

Comic we wish we were caught up on
Forrest: Far Sector
Dave: Daredevil

Best comic not from this year
Forrest: Berserk
Dave: Sentient

Mentions:
Sara
Upgrade Soul
Way of the Househusband

Best Publisher
Forrest: TKO
Dave: Random House Graphic

Mentions:

BOOM!
Marvel
Aftershock
Vault

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